The church building was donated by their employer – a God-fearing farmer.
The church building was donated by their employer – a God-fearing farmer.
The parents were proud that their first born child, a daughter, was going to be the first to be baptised in the recently installed font in their village church.
Dressed in their Sunday-best, they looked quite impressive. The baptism is conducted in the vernacular.
The following exchange occurred at the appropriate part of the service: Mfundisi: Mnikeni lo mntwana igama.
Abazali/Bameli: "Devil" Mfundisi: Deborah ndiyakubhaptiza egameni lo yise nelo nyama nelo Moya OyiNgcwele The service proceeds.
Mfundisi requsts the church warden to ask the parents to meet with him in the church study after the service.
In the study, the following conversation takes place:
Mfundisi: Molweni kwakhona Bazali
Bazali/Bameli: Kwakhona Mfundisi
Mfundisi: Were you not upset when I named your child Deborah?
Parents: Not all Mfundisi. Deborah, like Devil, is also a "strong name".
Mfundisi: Strong, in what way?
Parents: Devil. I just like the energy. Oh the inherent strength it possesses, Mfundisi, when I say Devil with an emphasis on the D. Wow! Mfundisi, you have no idea. You see Mfundisi I am passionate about energy, it's what I need as a farm employee and I'd like this child to be strong, not for farm work, but for the world out there. My neighbour's child was named Gomorrah.
Mfundisi: Wow! That's extreme.
Parents: A real dream Mfundisi. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. A child is born with inherent genes, his or her character cannot be changed by the name he or she is given – for example, the isiXhosa name Yoyisile (given us joy) can be the direct opposite of what you had meant him to be – with him a name is just a tag or label that can just be "touched" and the person replies "yes Dad".
In the olden days the prefix "No" was attached to the subject and defined the name given to a female child. For example, Nomonde (patience) is my first name. Late President Mandela's name, Rholihlahla, was quite a jaw-breaker, that's why his teacher named him Nelson.
My 'teacher name' is Olive, but my father named me – he wished for the strength. Remember the Mountain of Olives (Lutaba yeminqcuma) and the Beatitudes – Matthew 5:2-12. Their female names are Nonceba (Mercy), Nomandla (Strength), Nothemba (Hope).
AmaZulu are more liberal. If they decided that the child would be welcomed and appreciated, whatever sex the baby turned out to be, it would be named Lungile (acceptable/appreciated) which was amaXhosa. A boy child or a girl child would be given the same name.
Abe Sothu would prefix 'Ma' – for example, Matthabo (Source of Joy). The boy would be named Thabo (Joy). In isiXhosa "commanding" names are given to boys as prospective heads of families. They are supposed to carry their names with reverance – Zola (be calm), Yandisa (increase/multiply), Zinza (be focused), Mila (be rooted/firm).
There are just a few examples. Some children are named according to the events surrounding the period of time of their birth. For example, Simangele (we have been surprised/disappointed), Nont'ibithethwa – usually bears some negativity, things that were predicted by the relatives of the father, a good-for-nothing – like her mothers family or sometimes because of the fact that his family would have chosen a different girl for him.
Novangaye (willed to be a bully – literally "her – will – be -done") this is sometimes based on the character of the mother. A bitter abused wife named her twins Hontswelo (poverty/beggar) and Hohluphekile (miserable). We then have another category, naming our sons' wives, this is the duty of the sister-in-law. Although she is female she wishes to be given the "commanding" name, Samkele (accept us as we are), Masivuye (let us rejoice) Lilitha (she exudes with warmth).
Naming the children used be the privilege of the grandmothers and grandfathers of the family, because they knew all the older ones. Perhaps they used to be perfect examples of rich men with high aspirations or a woman who commanded respect or was envied by other women in the village or homestead.
The boy would then be named Sityebi (rich man), for example, and the girl would be named after her great grandmother Nomfanekelo (gracious and dignified). But the modern young parents give their little ones very quaint names – also "event-related" sometimes – Yonela (be contented), Sive (God hear us/grand our wish), Khazimla (Shine), Kumnandi (we are hilarious).
Thought for the day: " Nothing makes a woman feel older than meeting a bald-headed man who was two standards behind her at school." (The man replies there's one good thing about being bald – it's neat!)
